Swindon Town were forced to settle for a point following an entertaining 1-1 draw with Northampton Town at Sixfields this afternoon.

It was an end-to-end affair and both teams had chances to win the game but, in the end, a draw was probably a fair result.

Swindon had to weather a storm for large parts of the first-half as the home team pressed, with Danny Rose having a goal waved off. 

Tyreece Simpson hit the crossbar after Jack Payne's shot wasn't dealt with properly, and it was hard to believe that an action-packed first-half ended without a single goal.

There were goals after the interval, though, as Simpson's third goal of the season gave the Reds the lead, but Fraser Horsfall's bullet header ensured that the spoils were shared.

Town Head Coach Ben Garner made two changes in total as Akin Odimayo and Ellis Iandolo both came into the Starting XI, with Ben Gladwin dropping to the bench and Rob Hunt missing out on a place in the matchday squad.

It was a bright start by the Reds who were moving the ball around nicely and seeing plenty of possession in the final-third, although it was the home side who carved out the first real chance of the game.

Mitch Pinnock was able to pick out Danny Rose with a perfect cross but the latter could only plant his header against the post, before Kion Etete sent a header straight at Jojo Wollacott after Dion Conroy had diverted a cross out for a corner.

Conroy then came up with another huge play to clear a shot from Etete off the line, before Aaron McGowan's shot hit a defender and looped into the arms of Wollacott.

Town were really having to weather an intense storm but they managed to survive it, although Northampton were looking dangerous every time they poured forward.

Good defending allowed the Reds to box out Mitch Pinnock before he could get a clear shot on goal after latching onto a header that looped over the defence.

Louis Reed produced a sublime pass over the top of the Northampton defence, picking out Tyreece Simpson perfectly but the striker couldn't bring the ball under control and the danger passed.

Northampton then went close again as Pinnock's long-throw caused Town some trouble with Etete sending a well-struck volley just over the bar.

Rose did put the ball in the back of the net for the hosts but it was quickly disallowed, with Romoney Crichlow sent to the floor in the buildup.

From there, Town nearly took the lead themselves in a crazy sequence of events as Jack Payne's effort from distance was only parried by Liam Roberts with the rebound falling at the feet of Simpson, who could only smash a shot against the crossbar.

And that signalled the end of what was a crazy and intense first-half, with the two teams somehow going in scoreless at the break.

HALF-TIME: NORTHAMPTON TOWN 0-0 SWINDON TOWN

It was a strong start to the second-half for the Cobblers as Jon Guthrie's header back across goal drifted just wide with Etete unable to get a touch on it, before Sam Hoskins fired an effort over the bar after a free-kick dropped perfectly at his feet.

And, just moments after that missed opportunity for the hosts, Town made them pay emphatically by going up the other end and delivering the ultimate body blow.

Kaine Kesler-Hayden slipped in Gilbert down the flank and the attacker fired a ball across goal, which was controlled beautifully by Simpson who turned before firing home a sublime finish to give the Reds the lead.

It was nearly 2-0 moments later as Ellis Iandolo sent a header inches wide from Kesler-Hayden's dangerous cross, before Simpson clipped a shot wide after racing onto a long ball over the top.

Wollacott then had to come up with a huge, huge save to somehow deny Fraser Horsfall, while Rose went close with an overhead kick that went just wide.

It was constant action at both ends as Gilbert put another superb ball to play through Simpson, but the striker's shot was blocked by the legs of Roberts.

Town made a couple of quick-fire changes as Ben Gladwin and Jayden Mitchell-Lawson entered the fray, replacing Jonny Williams and Alex Gilbert respectively.

Rose was proving to be a tricky customer for the Reds to deal with as he put another shot wide, before the pressure finally told.

Having won a corner, Shaun McWilliams swung the ball in and centre-back Fraser Horsfall was there to head home an emphatic equaliser for Northampton. 

It all got a bit frantic from there as both sides exchanged a flurry of blows in order to try and nick a winner, with Wollacott denying Paul Lewis and Nicke Kabamba flicking a header over the bar, before Simpson went through on goal and won a corner, which was nodded over by Iandolo.

Payne and Iandolo both had shots blocked as Town really pressed for a winner in the dying seconds, but both sides had to settle for a well-earned point after what was an entertaining encounter at Sixfields.

FINAL SCORE: NORTHAMPTON TOWN 1-1 SWINDON TOWN 

TEAMS AND STATS

NORTHAMPTON TOWN - Roberts; McGowan, Sowerby (Nicke Kabamba 76), Guthrie, Horsfall (C), Hoskins, Pinnock (Dylan Connolly 60), Koiki, McWilliams, Etete (Paul Lewis 63), Rose.

SUBS NOT USED - Harriman, Flores, Ashley-Seal, Maxted.

SCORERS - Fraser Horsfall (82).

BOOKED - Danny Rose, Jack Sowerby, Sam Hoskins, Shaun McWilliams.

SWINDON TOWN - Wollacott; Odimayo, Iandolo, Conroy (C), Crichlow, Simpson, Payne, Gilbert (Jayden Mitchell-Lawson 74), Williams (Ben Gladwin 69), Kesler-Hayden, Reed.

SUBS NOT USED - Ward, East, Aguiar, Parsons, Dabre.

SCORERS - Tyreece Simpson (56).

BOOKED - Dion Conroy.

Referee - Brett Huxtable

Attendance - 5,863 (962 Away Fans).